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jumpsh0t23
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Profile Evaluation 09 Dec 2011, 19:47
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Age: 23

GMAT: 770 (50Q/44V)

Degree: Chemical Engineering, 3.6 GPA, top 3 ChemE program in the nation. Graduated May 2010.

Work Experience: I have spent 1.5 years in a rotational program in materials research and development. I am in the midst of managing a sustaining engineering project with a potential $100m impact on the business. I was also the lead design engineer a high priority R&D Project and helped to successfully deliver a technical solution in 6 months.

I have also spent 3 summers in a nanotechnology research lab and have 3 publications around using nanoparticles in cancer research.

Extracurriculars: I have had extensive tutoring experience since high school. I am currently in a mentoring program in which I work with a 5th grade student from a low income neighborhood to improve his math and reading proficiency. I have been volunteering with this program 16 months.

I also spent 6 weeks on a service learning trip to asia in college.

Goals: I would like to work in private equity or management consulting post-mba. Ultimately I would like to work for or start a non-profit to reduce the education gap for students from impoverished neighborhoods.

MBA school targets: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT

When would be a good time for me to apply? What are my chances at these schools? What are some deficiencies I need to work on? I appreciate any feedback.
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bizschoolprep
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Profile Evaluation 09 Dec 2011, 21:40
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There is nothing here that suggest why you can not apply to your target schools. You are competitive for a slot in these schools however do understand than most of the applicants who apply to these schools are. At the end, it will come to how well can you execute your application to highlight your strengths the best way to the adcoms.

Regarding the question about when best to apply - well, apply when you think your application is best ready, and then the sooner the better. Avoid the last round because you probably will be fighting for very few number of seats that you can count on fingers. Rather, give it your best shot in the next application season if you think you can not get your application up by Jan deadlines.

Good luck!
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jumpsh0t23
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Profile Evaluation 10 Dec 2011, 08:12
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Thank you for the quick feedback. My question was more in regards to my work experience. I have only been working for 16 months since college, do you recommend that I apply during this cycle or will waiting until next year will that boost my chances?

Also, the company I work for is rather small and does not have the name recognition that Apple, Google, 3M etc do. Does it make sense for me to try and join a McK/BCG/Bain type consulting company for 2 years before applying?

I appreciate your help.
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Profile Evaluation 10 Dec 2011, 08:32
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Yes, It would be better to get some work experience behind you and then apply. Adcom look at work experience pretty carefully because it suggest how impactful you have been and your past work exp is a pretty strong indicator of your future success as well. Also the average work exp in top tier schools is 4-5 years so you can benefit from getting some more work experience by leveraging the stories from there in your essays.

As far as big name iconcerneded, it has pros and cons. In a big company the chances are that you wont be getting much of leadership opportunities because of hierarchy, etc while if you are working in a small company or a start up , adcom looks out for those skills. Just because you are not working for a big company should definitely not discourage you from targeting any top tie school. You just have to make sure that you present your work experience the right way in the application.